


The Fate Which Binds Us

by Rraz45



Series: Dark Fate [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Anna Milton, BAMF Anna, Castiel Needs a Hug (Supernatural), Emotional Manipulation, Evil Dean Winchester, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Manipulative Crowley (Supernatural), Protective Anna Milton, Protective Dean Winchester, Revenge, Ruler of Hell Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester Needs a Hug, Sarah Blake is the Best Wife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28739238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rraz45/pseuds/Rraz45
Summary: It has been ten years since Dean Winchester has been locked in the cage. Sam has a life with Sarah outside of hunting. However, both angels and demons have plans involving Dean, so Sam must step back in the life once more... especially when there may be a way to save Dean.
Relationships: Anna Milton/Dean Winchester, Sarah Blake/Sam Winchester
Series: Dark Fate [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079870
Comments: 37
Kudos: 4





	1. Ten Years Later

_Ten Years Ago…_

_“I won’t fight it,” the elder Winchester promised. He had no fear staring into that hole that would lead to his prison in Hell. It had to be this way. There was no way Dean was going to fight his brother; not after all they had been through._

_Sam nodded his head. There was nothing that could prepare him for the sight of his brother willingly walking into the cage. It was truly the most difficult thing Sam had ever witnessed._

_“Goodbye Sam,” Dean spoke as he glanced over his shoulder, “I promise to always watch over you.” With those words spoken, Dean vanished into his prison._

_“Bye Dean,” Sam whispered as the door to the cage closed._

Ten Years Later…

A beautiful brunette woman with striking hazel eyes stood in her kitchen. There was an apron covering her work clothes, but it did nothing to hide her heavily pregnant middle. It was clear that she was in the second half of her pregnancy. To her left was a small boy playing with toy cars while sitting at the kitchen table. The boy had coppery brown hair that was slightly shaggy, and he looked to be about nine years old.

“Mommy,” the boy looked at his mother with matching hazel eyes, “what are we having for dinner?”

His mother turned her head toward him. “We are having spaghetti with garlic bread and salad honey,” she answered him as she stirred the sauce in the pot in front of her.

The boy sighed and dropped his toy cars onto the table with a small bang. “How long until dinner is ready? I’m hungry,” he whined.

“Dean Winchester do not treat your toys like that,” his mother chided, “dinner will be ready soon, but we have to wait until your father comes home.”

The boy, Dean, was quick to rest his chin on his palms. He was so bored at the moment. “I hope Dad comes home soon,” the boy mused aloud.

Suddenly, the family’s golden retriever was barking and rushing to the front door. A moment later, the front door opened, and a man walked inside. He was tall with shaggy, coppery hair that matched his son. He wore a simple black suit. He dropped his briefcase beside the door to greet the dog.

Little Dean perked up, and a wide grin broke out on his face. In a flash, he was jumping down from his seat at the table. “Daddy!” the boy yelled and ran into his father’s waiting arms.

Sam Winchester hugged his son tightly in his arms. “Hey squirt,” father greeted his son. Throwing little Dean over his shoulders, Sam made his way into the kitchen to greet the rest of his family.

The brunette, or more commonly known as Sarah Winchester, had just finished taking out the garlic bread from the oven when her husband walked into the kitchen. “Hey baby, how was your day?” Sam asked with a kiss after he made his way over to his wife.

Sarah shook her head as she watched her son gag at the sight of his parents kissing. He then squirmed out of his father’s grasp and ran up the stairs. “Go wash your hands for dinner!” she called after her boy.

Turning her attention back to her husband, Sarah blinked then smiled. “It was good. Got everything ready for the auction next week. How about you?” she responded to his earlier question.

Sam’s hand found its usual place on his wife’s expanding middle. He was so excited to become a parent again. “Long, but the case should be wrapping up soon. The little one doing good?” he replied.

Sarah nodded her head as she moved her right hand to lay on top of her husband’s. “Baby is good. Next time will be the next ultrasound, so you won’t want to miss that,” the brunette spoke.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Stacey at work thinks we are having another boy,” there was a smile on Sam’s face as he told this to his wife.

Sarah shook her head in exasperation. She added, “My office still can’t understand why we always want to be surprised with the baby’s gender.” Even with little Dean, both Sam and Sarah agreed to wait to find out the gender. Their whole relationship was defined by surprises, and they wanted to keep that tradition going. Besides, neither one of them had a preference for gender; as long as their baby was healthy that is all that mattered.

At that moment, little Dean came rushing back into the kitchen. “Is dinner ready now Mom?” he asked with impatience.

Sam and Sarah smiled at one another. Sam kissed his wife on the forehead before moving away from her. “Yes, it is,” she answered her son, “how about you go set up the table while I grab everything?”

A few minutes later, the family of three was sitting down enjoying a home cooked meal. Little Dean excitedly told the tale from school of how his team beat the fifth graders at flag football. Sam was so reminded of his brother in his son’s story that his eyes sparkled. It was the right thing to name his son after Dean; this way Sam always had little bit of his brother with him.

When their plates were almost empty, Sarah asked her husband, “Do you still need to help Bobby research that case?”

“Is Uncle Bobby going to come visit soon?” their son wondered aloud as looked back and forth between his parents.

“Maybe soon squirt,” Sam answered, “And yeah; after we put little Dean to bed, I’m going to the study to work on that case.”

Sarah was nodding her head. “I hate that he is working alone. Why won’t he team up with Ellen?” she ranted with contained frustration.

Sam took a sip of his water. “It’s Bobby, and we can’t get him to change his ways,” he replied. But Sam was in agreement with his wife; Bobby should not be hunting alone.

*~SPN~*

Bobby was running. He was in over his head, and he should have called Sam for help with this one. Glancing over his shoulder, Bobby could not spot his assailant. Perhaps he lost that monster’s trail. Bobby slowed his pace to a brisk walk; he needed to get to his car and get out of here.

As Bobby rounded the corner, he came face to face with the dark eyes he was trying to avoid. He could not even reach for a weapon before his neck was twisted at an unnatural angle. Then Bobby’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground, and his killer smiled wickedly at finally being able to kill the legendary Bobby Singer.

*~SPN~*

Sam groaned as he heard his phone go off. Sarah moved away from his embrace and went straight back to sleep. Who was calling at this hour? It was three in the morning! “Hello,” Sam grumbled as he answered the phone.

“Sam,” it was Ellen’s voice, “I got some bad news for you.”

Instantly, the Winchester moved into a sitting position. He could hear the tears and anguish in her voice. “Ellen, what is it? What’s wrong?” he immediately asked.

“It’s Bobby,” Ellen’s voice choked up, “Sam, Bobby is dead.”

His heart stuttered in his chest. No, not Bobby! Sam could not lose Bobby. “Tell me about what he was hunting Ellen,” he demanded. Sam was going to stop at nothing until he avenged his surrogate father’s death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is part 3, and I hope you enjoy the newest installation of this series!


	2. Hunter's Funeral

Sam left early the next morning for South Dakota. Sarah had been understanding, but she made him promise to be home soon. They had a family now, and Sam could not just abandon them in his quest for vengeance. So he made a promise that he would go and bury his surrogate father and gather some information. Then Sam would return home and plot out his revenge.

Later that day, Sam met Ellen at Singer Salvage Yard. Bobby’s home brought out a lot of emotion in the Winchester. This place was a safe haven for the Winchester brothers. Bobby Singer was like a father for both Sam and Dean. The boys spent much time here growing up and even more as adults. Bobby was such a great resource for hunts, and his place became almost a home base for the boys.

Ellen was waiting for Sam outside. She smiled as the Impala parked, and Sam climbed out from the driver’s seat. “Sam,” her greeting was warm as she moved to embrace the last surviving Winchester.

Hugging her tightly, Sam softly replied, “It’s good to see you Ellen. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

Ellen nodded her head as they broke apart from their embrace. “He’s out back,” she stated after clearing her throat, “I couldn’t start without you.”

Shifting, the male hunter nodded his head. He could do this. Looking around, Sam began to notice things. “Where is Jo?” he curiously asked.

There was an unhappy and sour look on Harvelle’s face. “She met this hunter and apparently is in love. So they are on the road together as a hunting team,” she did not sound too thrilled in her daughter’s choice of a romantic partner.

Hazel eyes widened and chiseled lips thinned. He could already picture the fight between the two Harvelle women in his head. But that did not explain everything. How was Ellen the first person to learn of Bobby’s death? Sam followed Ellen through the house toward the back. The hunter noticed that the house was cleaner than it had been in years. There were also some feminine touches spread out the place. Was there something Sam was missing?

“When did you make it here?” Sam wondered when they went through the back door.

Ellen raised an eyebrow. Was Sam Winchester really that clueless? “I was already here when I got the call,” she answered.

It all finally clicked in the Winchester’s brain. Bobby and Ellen were actually a thing! Sam’s eyes widened, and his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. “I didn’t know,” Sam apologized.

The older woman shrugged her shoulders. “It wasn’t like we were sending out announcements,” she acquiesced.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Sam wondered, “How long have you two been….”

Ellen licked her lips and answered, “A little more than a year.”

It was still so shocking to the Winchester that Bobby and Ellen were in such a serious relationship, or even in a relationship in general. Why did Bobby never tell him?

Sam was pulled from his thoughts when they stopped in front of the already prepared funeral pyre. Sam gasped when he saw the body wrapped on top of the pyre. It sunk in even more that Bobby was actually gone and not coming back.

Meanwhile, Ellen tried her best to hold in her sobs. This was the second man she loved and lost to the life. Was hunting going to take away everyone she truly cared about? Her hand reached for Sam’s, and she held his hand tightly. It was a little bit comforting to know that she was not alone in her pain; someone else was going to miss Bobby as much as she did. “We should probably say a few words,” Ellen thought aloud.

San barely even noticed his hazel eyes were watery. It was not until the tears rolled down his cheeks that he even realized that he was crying. “Bobby changed my life. You know he was the only one of Dad’s friends who made sure Dean and I acted like kids. I know Dean was always glad when we stayed here. Bobby was always looking out for Dean,” Sam spoke from the heart, “Thank you for opening your home and your heart to us. We would be dead so many times over if it weren’t for you Bobby. My son is also going to miss his ‘cool Uncle Bobby’ who teaches him all about cars. Thanks for helping me have my family. I will always be grateful for everything you done for me, my family, and especially Dean. You are irreplaceable Bobby Singer.”

Ellen wiped away the tears from her cheeks. “That was beautiful Sam,” she commented. Now it was her turn to say her goodbyes. “You were one stubborn son of a bitch Bobby Singer, but god help me I loved you for it. You were a man of few words, but you had a heart so full of love. I am going to miss you so much. But thank you for teaching me that I can indeed open my heart and love again.”

Taking a moment to just feel, Ellen then reached for the matches in her pocket and threw them at the pyre. Both Sam and Ellen watched with tears in their eyes as Bobby was given a hunter’s funeral. Neither one said another word until Bobby’s body was completely consumed by the flames and the funeral was complete.

“Why don’t you go inside Ellen,” Sam offered, “I will bury the rest of him.”

Ellen nodded her head. She just could not bury his ashes; it would be too much for her. “I will see you inside,” she replied before walking back toward the house.

A minute after Ellen took her leave, Sam heard the flutter of wings. He did not have to look to know that he was no longer alone.

Standing beside the former hunter was the angel Castiel. “Hello Sam,” the angel greeted. He looked the exact same as the last time Sam had seen the angel all those years ago.

“Are you here to pay your respects?” Sam asked without ever taking his eyes off the burnt funeral pyre. His hazel eyes were red, and the tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

Castiel looked at the ashes in front of him. He had no idea who had died. “Sam,” Castiel’s voice was soft, “who are you honoring?”

Sam finally turned his head to his angelic comrade. How could Castiel not know? “It’s Bobby,” Sam’s voice was rough with emotion, “it’s why you are here, right?”

The angel gasped at the news. He could not believe Bobby had finally made his journey to Heaven. Castiel placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I am so sorry for your loss,” the angel offered genuine consolement.

Closing his eyes tightly, Sam did his best to reign in his emotions. “You didn’t know Bobby was dead, did you?” he realized. When the angel nodded his head, Sam demanded, “Then what are you doing here?”

Castiel turned those bright blue eyes on the younger Winchester. ‘Sam, I promise I will help you avenge Bobby Singer’s death, but we have a serious problem,” the angel began to explain.

Sam’s eyes were once again watery as more tears threatened to escape. “What can be worse than Bobby’s death Cas?” he questioned. But there was a part of Sam that did not want to know the answer to his own question. He was supposed to be out of the active hunting life.

The angel looked away from the hunter. Castiel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sam needed to know this. “It’s about your brother,” the angel replied.

It was like Sam was frozen. The whole world stopped moving at the mention of his brother. “What do you mean?” Sam just could not shake away the dread he was feeling.

Castiel’s ocean depths finally returned to the former hunter’s large form. “Someone is trying to break Dean out of his cage,” Cas answered.


	3. A New Life

Sam could only deal with one problem at a time, so he focused on laying Bobby to rest. Once that was done, the Winchester headed back inside the house. Sam found Ellen sitting in the kitchen. There was an open beer on the table and another one in her hands. Ellen’s eyes were red and blotchy, but she had stopped crying.

Looking up, Ellen’s eyes widened at the sight of the angel following behind the Winchester. She had only met the angel briefly, but to her his presence spelled doom. “What is he doing here?” she demanded answers before taking a large swig of her beer.

Castiel opened his mouth to answer her, but Sam raised his hand to silence him. Blue eyes looked at the hunter questioningly, but the tall male shook his head. It was not right to burden Ellen with this news now, especially since it was not her fight.

Taking a seat, Sam reached for the offered beer and took a sip. Castiel shifted uncomfortably but did not know of he should take a seat as well. His people skills were once again rusty, and the angel thought they were wasting time. They had a mission to complete after all.

“What is going on Sam?” she asked in all seriousness, “What is the real reason feathers is here?” Sam owed it to her to not lie to her after everything.

Sam breathed deeply, held it for a moment, and then slowly exhaled. He motioned for Cas to take a seat beside them. “I need all the information on Bobby’s last hunt Ellen,” the Winchester spoke.

Brown eyes narrowed in fury. She sometimes forgot how much Sam was just like his Daddy. “You better not be going on a revenge mission, ya hear me!” Ellen yelled at the Winchester, “You got a wife and a child who need you more than Bobby needs to be avenged. Do I need to bring up the fact that you and I both know what he would say… how he would agree with me?”

Sighing, Sam closed his eyes. He could hear Bobby cursing him out in his head. “It’s not like that Ellen,” Sam responded, “I’m not going to abandon Sarah, little Dean, and our new baby. But there is something coming, and we gotta be ready. I’m not losing any more people I care about.”

Sam and Ellen stared each other down for a long moment. It was Ellen who looked away first, and she cursed under her breath. Damn Winchesters and their crusades. But still, she and the others always fought alongside them. Standing up, Ellen muttered, “I can’t believe I’m doing this. You better be right about all of this.”

After she had left the room, Castiel turned to his friend and companion. “Why not tell her the truth?” the angel wondered. They might need all the help they could get in this upcoming fight.

Sam took a heave swig of his beer, swallowing half of it in one go. “Ellen just buried Bobby, Cas,” the human tried to explain, “she is not ready for any of this to all come back again.”

There was a quizzical expression on Castiel’s face. Sam felt like those blue eyes were piercing his soul. “You think that Bobby’s death and the plot to free Dean are connected?” the angel surmised.

There was an unreadable expression on Sam Winchester’s handsome face. “Is it really so far-fetched?” I mean Bobby is not going to get taken down by some simple hunt, and the timing is just too close together,” he tried to explain his reasoning.

Before Castiel could open his mouth and respond, Ellen walked back into the kitchen. She tossed a heavy folder onto the table in front of Sam. “Here is everything he was working on before he died, she commented with narrowed eyes, “now don’t do anything stupid, and if you need help, you call ya hear me!”

Sam was nodding his head as he reached for the folder. “I will, I promise,” he reassured his friend. But now it was time to take his leave. “The same goes for you Ellen. If you need anything, you call me.”

They once again stood to hug one another. Ellen closed her eyes and hugged the other hunter tightly. “I’m going to keep his work going,” she promised in a whisper. She would continue her love’s dream of making this world a safer place.

Sam reluctantly pulled away from the Harvelle matriarch. “Good bye,” Sam spoke before taking his leave. Even after all these years, he still hated goodbyes.

Castiel awkwardly trailed after the Winchester. He remembered how negatively the Winchester brothers responded to ‘flying angel express’ as Dean used to eloquently put it, and the humans always suggested driving instead of the much more efficient way of angelic traveling.

It was not until they were well on the road when things became uncomfortable. Sam was not used to being in the car with someone so silent and calm. Sarah had her moments, but they could talk for hours over their shared interests. The only time little Dean was quiet in the car was when he was asleep or playing one of his videogames. Little Dean was loud and rambunctious, and he loved having everyone’s attention on him… just like his namesake. Sam used to always get nervous when Dean was quiet in the car; it usually meant a prank was coming on.

Clearing his throat, Sam questioned, “So what have you been up to all these years?” Sam had not seen the angel in over ten years… not since Sam locked his brother in the cage.

Castiel glanced at the human sitting beside him before answering, “I have been aiding Gabriel in restructuring Heaven. We have finally managed to quell those who supported Michael in his treatment of humanity.”

The Winchester raised an eyebrow in astonishment. He was really proud of his friend. Castiel has come a long way since he was first introduced to the Winchesters. Sam was proud to call the angel an ally and more importantly a friend. “How is our favorite trickster slash archangel?” the human questioned.

“He has proven himself to be a good leader. Although, he does still like to prank the garrisons now and then,” Cas answered as he thought about the strange archangel.

Sam stifled a laugh. “That sounds like Gabriel alright,” he replied. Now that the tension had been broken, the rest of the drive was passed with a much more comfortable silence.

The pair finally arrived in New Paltz, New York midway through the next day. Sam was glad to be home; he had missed Sarah and little Dean. Hopefully Sarah would be home from work soon.

“You have a nice house,” Castiel commented as Sam parked the Impala in the garage. That was something humans usually liked to be complimented on.

The Winchester gave an awkward smile in return. “Thanks.” When they walked inside the house, he added, “Let’s go to my study. I try to keep everything there so my son can’t find it.”

Castiel tilted his head to the side that was all too reminiscent for the Winchester. “He does not know what the world is truly like?” the angel was surprised by this fact.

Sam stiffened his shoulders. It was something both he and Sarah agreed upon. Sam may not be fully out of the hunter life because of his career. He set up a law practice to aid hunters whenever they got in trouble with the law, but their son did not sign up for the hunter’s life. “Most humans don’t know that monsters are real. We want him safe and protected from my past. I don’t want my kids to have the same childhood I had,” he stiffly explained.

Even the angel could pick up on the ques that this was still a sore spot for the Winchester.

At that moment, the front door opened, and Sarah walked inside the house. She threw her coat onto the coat rack before calling out, “Sam are you here?”

Immediately hazel eyes brightened as Sam moved to greet his wife. He needed to see his beautiful bride and remember there was still some good in his life. “Hey Sarah,” he greeted by pulling her into his arms and softly kissing her on the lips.

Every time their lips met, Sarah felt such a warmth surge through her. She would always count her blessings that the two were able to find each other again and make a life together. Sam Winchester will always be the love of her life. “How are you?” she was worried about her love. Sam had already lost so much already.

He smiled warmly at his wife. What did he do to deserve her? “I’m getting by,” he answered truthfully. There was no sense in lying to her; she knew him too well for that.

Castiel cleared his throat to remind the others they were not alone. Two sets of hazel eyes turned toward the angel of the Lord.

“Sarah, you remember Castiel right?” the Winchester reintroduced his spouse to his war buddy.

The brunette bit the inside of her cheek as she recalled her husband’s old associates. “The angel that rescued Dean, right?” she asked for clarification. When Sam nodded his head, Sarah offered her hand to the angel. “Hi again; I’m Sarah if you have forgotten.”

Castiel grabbed the offered hand with both of his own hands. “It is nice to see you again, and congratulations on your daughter,” he greeted back.

Both Sam and Sarah appeared confused by the angel’s words. “Daughter… I don’t have a-” then it finally clicked in the pregnant woman’s mind. Her eyes widened in shocked realization. “We’re having a girl….”

Even Castiel knew to feel guilty for oversharing. “You did not know. My apologies,” he sincerely responded.

Sam cleared his throat. He could not believe he was having a daughter. “We are going to into the study to look over some things. Where is little Dean?” he asked his wife.

Sarah’s hands were wrapped around her fecund middle, and her hazel eyes were watery. She could not believe that they were actually having a little girl. Sarah did not know if she should laugh, yell, or cry for finding out the big secret. “He’s at a sleepover,” she answered her husband, “if you excuse me, I need to be alone for a minute.” She then made her escape upstairs to her bedroom.

The angel turned to his friend. “I thought you had already known. My sincerest apologies Sam,” Cas once again apologized.

Sam shook his head to escape the daze he was in. “It’s fine Cas. Let’s just get to work,” he replied.

For the next two hours, the two poured over Bobby’s research. The hunter was definitely tracking demonic activity, of that Sam was sure. So it must have been a demon that killed Bobby, and a powerful one at that. “So do you think that it’s demons that are trying to open up the cage?” Sam asked his companion.

Castiel was nodding his head in agreement. “There is no angel in Heaven who would want Dean out of the cage and potentially restarting the apocalypse. So it must be the work of demons,” he agreed.

Neither one ever thought of a third option of a rogue angel no longer in Heaven who was looking for something they have lost.


	4. Angel Rescue

Ever since Anna chose to fall, she has felt as though she has been on the run. She ran from her haunting angelic memories as a child. She ran from the demons that wanted inside knowledge to angelic strategy. And she ran from her brothers and sisters who wanted to dead since she got her grace back.

Anna thought that Castiel would be different. The red headed angel truly believed that she could make Castiel see the truth; there was more than what the Host wanted the angels to believe. It was ok to have doubts and questions because it led to making the right choices. It was a lesson she learned from her days as a human, and according to God, there was nothing greater than humanity.

But the Host had gotten their hooks back in the blue eyed, trench coat wearing angel, and Castiel betrayed her. Anna should have known the Host would keep a close eyes on the angel assigned to guard the Righteous Man; Heaven had plans for Dean Winchester after all.

Being a prisoner of Heaven was a lot like being a prisoner of Hell. The Host did not skimp on the torture, and Anna had begged for death so many times. Were her actions really that wrong that it would warrant such actions against her?

She needed to remember that she managed to escape, and now she was back on the run. One thing was certain, Anna refused to be captured by her angelic brethren again. She would take her own angelic blade to herself before she would let that happen. Luckily, Anna had left a good enough trail to make her siblings believe that she was dead. It was better for them to believe that. But did everyone believe her to be dead? Did HE think her dead?

This most recent time on the run has led the feisty red head to the demon Crowley. Crowley was a crossroads demon; the King of the Crossroads in fact, which means his demonic eyes were red. His human vessel was a man who spoke with a British accent, and he was slightly handsome. He definitely was not Anna’s type when she was human, but she could understand his appeal to others. Crowley was a slimy bastard though. Anna should have learned that she could not trust demons.

Crowley was oh so manipulative, and Anna thought that he would keep her safe. But demons cannot deny their nature, and Crowley was no different. It was difficult to escape his clutches; almost as difficult as escaping the Host. Anna was no ordinary angel, and she was resourceful. She is back on the run, but this time was going on the offense.

It was time to stop running just for the sake of running. This time Anna was running toward something. Although the path was difficult, her heart never steered her to the wrong place. It was what led her to HIM after all, and HE became everything to her.

*~SPN~*

Crowley was furious. The demon was in his stronghold, and there was one person missing. The fact that she was gone infuriated the demon immensely. He called one of his demon guards. When the low level demon could not explain how and why their angelic guest was gone, Crowley punished the demonic guard by taking its life. Sometimes demons were more trouble than they are worth.

The King of the Crossroads had found Anna not long after she had escaped Heaven. Crowley knew right away how valuable the angel could be to the demon. So the demon took her in and offered her protection from her family. And the silly little angel about it; she was desperate after all.

But now the angel was gone. Right when Crowley was ready to strike. Out of all the time to rebel…. Crowley had plans, and no one was the wiser… except for that angel. Well, the King of the Crossroads was going to make sure she would have no place to run.

With the hunter Bobby Singer dead, Crowley knew there only one person he could go to. It would be difficult; dealing with Winchesters was always volatile. It was why Crowley went to Singer for an alliance. He even convinced the aging hunter to keep little Sammy Winchester in the dark. Now though, Crowley was going to have to go directly to the Winchester.

There might be a little part of the demon that was going to miss Bobby Singer. The human was weak, gruff, and crass, but he had a way about him. Plus he was still useful to the demon. Crowley was going to look into Bobby Singer’s death personally. It was not good for business if fellow demons or monsters were killing his associates.

So in an instant, Crowley vanished from his current residence and reappeared in the suburbs. New York was always beautiful this time of year, especially upstate New York. Crowley looked around the neighborhood with distaste clear on his face; he hated the suburbs. Adjusting the lapels of his petticoat, Crowley walked up the driveway to the front door.

Taking a quick look around, Crowley knocked on the door. A few heartbeats later, the door opened. On the other side of the door was Sam Winchester. Sam looked at the shorter man on the other side of the door with confusion in his eyes. “Can I help you?” the Winchester asked.

“Sam Winchester,” Crowley stated before his eyes slowly bled red, “we need to talk.”


	5. A Path to the Crossroads

Sarah came back downstairs a short time later. The brunette had stopped crying, but her temperament had shifted from emotional to furious. She and Sam had a plan; they were going to wait to find out the baby’s gender when the baby decided to make its arrival. That angel ruined the surprise though. Sarah was going to get the angel back for ruining things…

“Sam!” Sarah called as she reached the bottom of the stairs, “Sam!” She needed to have a little conversation with her husband.

As soon as he heard his wife calling him, Sam walked out of the study to meet her in the main hallway. “Yes, Sarah?” he asked when he reached her.

Sarah crossed her arms and glared at her husband’s large form. Her hazel eyes were stormy, and her eyebrow was raised in annoyance. “Is the angel still here?” she demanded answers.

Sam chewed on his top lip between his teeth. He could see how angry his spouse actually was; this was not good. Gulping, Sam answered, “Yes; he is in the study.”

She took a step closer to her husband. Though she was seven months pregnant, she still looked dangerous. “I want him out of our house,” she informed her husband. He opened his mouth to respond, but she beat him to it. “If you know what’s best for you, then you are going to get him out of our house.”

Swallowing nervously, Sam nodded his head in agreement. He knew how dangerous his pregnant wife’s attitude could be, and he should just nod his head and agree to her needs. “Will do,” he muttered.

Sarah nodded her head satisfied and then headed into the kitchen. She needed to get dinner started for her and her husband. There was no way she was going to cook for that spoiling everything angel. No way in hell.

After taking a deep breath, Sam made his way back into his study. Castiel was still studying the map that Bobby had marked. Clearing his throat, the Winchester stated, “Cas, you are going to have to leave.”

Castiel looked up at his friend with slight confusion in his blue eyes. “Sam?” the angel questioned.

Sighing, Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, you really upset Sarah earlier, and you can’t stay here,” the Winchester added.

Understanding flooded the Angel of Thursdays. “I understand Sam,” the angel responded, “I should inform Gabriel of our progress anyways.”

“Can you see if any other angel knows about which demon could have been the one to go after Bobby?” Sam wondered.

Castiel nodded his head in agreement. “I will Sam. See you soon,” the angel promised.

“Ok. I will keep digging into Bobby’s research too,” the hunter added. Just because Cas could not stay did not mean Sam was going to give up. Sarah would not be so angry for much longer; these mood swings never lasted long. Things will get better; they had to get better.

*~SPN~*

Sam was able to calm Sarah down as the two ate dinner. They should focus on the positive, and they were going to have a little girl. Both husband and wife agreed to keep the baby’s gender between the two of them. They wanted it to remain their little secret, and it would not hurt anyone else by keeping them in the dark. The next morning, both Sarah and Sam were getting ready for work like it was any normal day. Little Dean would be getting to school from the parents of the friend little Dean had a sleepover with. It was nice not to have to fight to get their boy out of bed in the morning. As Sarah was applying her make-up in the bathroom, there was knock at the front door. “I’ll get it!” Sam yelled so his wife could here.

Sam opened the door, and he did not immediately recognize the man on the other side of the door. The strange man was shorter than the Winchester, had dark hair and eyes, wore expensive dark clothes, and was slightly pudgy around the middle. The man seemed almost familiar to the Winchester, but Sam could not place him. “Can I help you?” the Winchester politely asked.

“Sam Winchester,” the strange man spoke, “we need to talk.” As he spoke, the man’s brown eyes flooded red, revealing his demonic nature.

Immediately, Sam was reaching for the holy water he kept hidden by the door. With still lightning flask reflexes, the Winchester sprayed the demon with holy water. The demon screamed as steam rose from him where the holy water made contact with his skin. “I’m going to send you back to Hell demon,” the Winchester threatened.

When Crowley was out of pain, he yelled at the human, “If you have no interest in saving your brother, then you can do that!”

Sam’s reaction was predictable. He paused in his movements and thought about the demon’s words. “Who are you?” Sam demanded answers before making any other move.

The demon raised an eyebrow. Did the Winchester not remember him? He was Crowley, King of Crossroads for demons sake! “Don’t you remember me Sam?” Crowley wondered, “I have been nothing but helpful to you in the past.”

Sam really thought back to the past and all the times he encountered any crossroads demons. Then he finally remembered when he met the demon before him. “You were the one who gave us the last ring,” the Winchester remembered, “Crowley, right?”

Crowley nodded his head in confirmation. “Yes, in the flesh. Now are you going to invite me inside, so we can talk?” the demon’s tone was snitty.

Hazel eyes narrowed with mistrust and anger. After Ruby, Sam Winchester learned not to trust demons. “No,” the hunter immediately responded, “I don’t allow demons in my house. If you want to talk, then meet me at the park around the corner.”

The demon rolled his eyes. Crowley was not some lowly demon to be ordered around. Still, if he wanted the Winchester’s help, then he was going to have to play along for now. “Fine,” the demon muttered before walking away.

San closed the door and turned around. Standing at the bottom of the stairs was his wife. “Sam,” there was an unreadable expression on Sarah’s face, “what is going on?”

The Winchester swallowed the lump in his throat. These last few days have been too much for him. “It’s about my brother,” he answered truthfully.

Sarah opened her mouth, closed it, and then bit her bottom lip. She was not happy Sam was jumping back into the game, but at the same time she understood. She knew how much Dean meant to Sam, and she was not going to get in the way of that. She had no right to demand Sam to stop, but she just wanted her family safe. “Please be careful Sam,” she pleaded with her husband, “and no more demons better be showing up at our house. Or I might have to gut you myself.”

Reaching for his wife’s hand, Sam smiled. This woman he loved was so amazing and understanding. “Thank you,” he replied before softly kissing her on the lips. He inwardly promised to make it up to her.

Crowley was waiting impatiently for the Winchester to show up. Damn hunters think they are so entitled. When Sam finally did arrive, the demon was muttering, “About bloody time.”

Sam kept the demon killing knife out of sight but easy to reach in a pinch. “Now, what do you know about helping my brother?” he demanded. He was not here for small talk; it was time to get to the point if the demon wanted to live.

Crowley shrugged his shoulders as he rounded on the ungrateful hunter. “I don’t know which one of you is more unpleasant. You or that trucker looking Bobby Singer…” the demon grumbled.

The Winchester paused in his movements. “What do you know about Bobby?” he demanded, “If you have anything to do with his death, then I’ll make you wish you were back in Hell!”

The demon rolled his eyes. “Calm down moose,” the demon replied, “I was not the one to make old Bobby Singer meet his maker. But I do know who did.”

Rubbing his jaw, Sam thought about his options. His heart wanted him to trust what this demon was telling him, but his past made his head much more weary of the demon’s intentions. “How do you know about Bobby’s death?” the Winchester wondered. He was going to need all the facts before making a decision.

Crowley licked his lips and took a step closer to the hunter. “Singer and I were working on a common goal together,” he cryptically answered.

Sam’s hands were itching to reach for the blade hidden away in the inside pocket of his jacket. “And what would that be?” he responded.

“To end world hunger!” Crowley sarcastically replied, “To save your brother you simple minded ingrate.”

Hazel eyes flashed dangerously. “You better watch yourself Crowley, or you won’t be walking out of this park,” Sam threatened.

“You know, I came to you with the opportunity to help your brother. I’m not going to stay here and be threatened like that. It is clear to me that you don’t care about saving Dean from the life you helped trap him in,” Crowley commented before turning around and taking a couple of steps away from the hunter.

Three… two… one… “Wait,” Sam called with a heavy sigh, “what do you mean there is a way to save Dean?”

Sam could not see the wicked smirk on the demon’s face. The demon spun on his heels. Fixing the collar of his petticoat, the demon kept the human in suspense. “Yes, would you like your brother out of Hell?” Crowley asked.

The Winchester swallowed and averted his eyes. “Getting Dean out of the cage won’t change anything,” he replied.

There was a cocky smirk on the demon’s face. “I’m talking about making Dean human again,” the demon added cryptically.


	6. Let's Make a Deal

It was like Crowley’s words turned Sam’s world upside down. It was everything he ever dreamed and longed for. If Dean could be human again, then the elder Winchester could meet his nephew and niece. Maybe Dean could have his shot for a family was well. “How is that even possible?” Sam wondered. Was there any way to reverse what was done to Dean? Sam had watched his brother die and be reborn for his very eyes.

Crowley could tell he had the hunter before him hooked. Winchesters were stubborn and damn near infallible, but their weakness was always family. Hell, and most likely Heaven too, would keep exploiting that chink in the armor for as long as the Winchesters continued to fight the good fight. “Dean was made into the ruler of Hell,” the demon began to explain, “his soul was already fusing with Hell with each soul he tortured in the Pit.”

Sam’s hazel eyes narrowed. He could figure out what the demon was implying. “You mean Dean was transforming into a demon,” the Winchester snapped.

Crowley smirked while chewing on his bottom lip. “Dean was halfway to having black eyes when Lucifer finally kicked the bucket,” Crowley loved to pour salt in the Winchester’s wound.

However, Sam was shaking his head. “I still don’t understand how giving Dean Lucifer’s blood changed him that much. Dean was much more powerful than a demon,” he complained about all the questions that were still unanswered.

The demon sighed and rolled his eyes. He would have thought that Sam would have understood; the younger Winchester was supposed to be the smart one after all. “Lucifer’s blood was infused with the archangel’s grace,” Crowley continued, “which made him into something more… not quite demonic and not quite angelic but perfect for Hell’s throne.”

Sam took a seat on the nearest bench. He hated to be reminded of all this. He still felt like such a failure for not saving Dean. “It’s not like Dean is possessed,” the Winchester mused aloud, “I mean it’s not going to be a simple exorcism that will make Dean all right again.” He wished it was that simple, but Sam did not know how to cure his brother.

Crowley could taste the desperation rolling off Sam Winchester, and the demon wanted to revel in it. “No,” Crowley countered, “but I can pull the power from Dean with the right spell and the right ingredients, and he can become human again like it was all just a bad dream.”

Hazel eyes stared at the powerful demon selling him hope in a bottle. All Sam wanted to do was ask the demon what did he need Sam to do; the faster they got started, the faster he would have Dean back. But this was a crossroads demon that Sam was dealing with, and those types of demons do not act out of the kindness of their hearts. Crossroad demons were all about making deals, and Sam was curious about what this would cost the Winchester. “And what do you want?” Sam asked, voice dripping with sarcasm, “You want my soul to do this?”

It was great to have a Winchester eating out of the palm of his hand! Crowley was living his best life. “Oh don’t worry Sam. I wouldn’t dream of taking your soul,” the demon responded.

Sam stared at the demon with puzzlement in his eyes. “Then what do you want Crowley?” Sam needed to know what this would cost him.

Crowley shrugged his shoulders with mock casualty. “I’m a simple demon with simple needs,” the demon answered, “I want the power we pull from Dean.”

Realization washed over the hunter. “You are after the throne,” he realized. Then Sam began to wonder if he should agree to this.

“King of Hell has a nice ring to it,” Crowley mused aloud. However, the demon could sense the human’s hesitation. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of kick starting the apocalypse again. It will go back to the way things were before Azazel and Lilith began their grandmaster plan.”

It was not ideal, but the deal still had its merits. It seemed like Crowley wanted more of the same; hunters versus demons before it all got so complicated. Was that really so bad if he got Dean back? “Alright,” Sam agreed, “let’s work together and cure Dean.”

Crowley was giddy with excitement. Finally! “There are a couple of things you should know before we get started,” the demon commented.

Weariness began to fill the Winchester’s being. Now what? “What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing you won’t be able to handle Sam, but you know that Hell, or more specifically the other demons, will try to stop us to protect the throne,” Crowley explained.

Demons no longer scared the Winchester; not after all these years. “Fine. We will handle them if they get in the way. Anything else?” Sam replied.

“Well, there is one more thing,” Crowley tried to be as nonchalant as possible.

Squaring his shoulders, Sam questioned, “Now what’s the other problem?”

“There is another who is trying to free Dean, but they don’t have the same intentions as you and I,” Crowley added.

Who else could possibly want Dean out of the cage? “Do you know who it is?” the Winchester wondered.

The demon nodded his head. “You should know her,” the demon answered, “you remember the rogue angel Anna?”


	7. Wayward Soldiers

Anna… Sam had not seen the angel since before Lucifer was freed. In fact, it was the female angel who informed the Winchester brothers of Castiel’s capture. Why would Anna work against them? She was a friend and an ally. Sam remembered how close she and Dean got the brief time they were together; the two had such a strong connection. It still begged the question why would she go against Dean? “What do you know about Anna?” Sam demanded for answers.

Crowley raised his hands in a clear show that he meant no harm. “I might not be the one to ask,” the demon responded, “but you might want to ask your angel buddy where she has been all this time.”

Sam raised an eyebrow in response. What did Cas have to do with all this? “It still doesn’t explain why she is our enemy now,” the Winchester responded.

The demon lowered his arms and placed his hands in his coat pockets. “Let’s just say that her wires were crossed when she was broken in Heaven,” Crowley added, “and now she believes the only way to save Dean is to kill him.”

It was still hard to believe, and Sam was definitely going to call Castiel once the demon was gone. “Alright, I will look into it. If she tries to stop us, then we stop her first,” the hunter agreed to the demon’s demands.

There was a wide smirk on the demon’s face. He spoke, “Atta boy Sammy. I will contact you soon with what we need to get the show on the road.” When Sam nodded his head in response, the demon took his que to leave. In the blink of an eye, Crowley vanished from the park.

Sam tossed his head back and took a deep breath as he gazed at the blue sky. This was a lot of information to take in. They actually had a plan now to save Dean. Sam could not believe he agreed to work with a demon again, and he was definitely shocked that Anna had gone off the deep end apparently. The poor hunter needed a new perspective on all these new revelations. All he wanted to do was call Sarah and hear her take on all this, but there was one other who he needed to speak to first. Praying, Sam called, “Castiel. If you can hear me, I really need to talk to you.”

A moment later, there was the flutter of wings signaling the arrival of an angel. “Hello Sam,” Castiel greeted with his gravelly voice.

Sam turned his head to the left and found the angel standing half a foot away from the bench he was sitting on. “We need to talk Cas,” the Winchester stated.

The angel nodded his head and took a seat beside his friend. Cas stated, “I spoke to Gabriel about Bobby. Unfortunately we have no idea which demon could be the one responsible, but Gabriel was aware of a demonic plot to free your brother.”

Sam cleared his throat and cut in, “I already know about that. The demon Crowley came to see me just now and asked to join forces.”

Blue eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Based on your past experience with working with demons, I hope you told the demon no and sent it straight back to Hell,” Castiel immediately responded.

Sam was reminded so much of Dean in that moment that his heart ached. “No,” Sam admitted truthfully, “Crowley has a way to save Dean by making him human again.”

Shock was evident on the angel’s face. It was almost too good to be true to believe. Castiel was much more cautious than the humans in his charge, so the angel hesitated. “Sam….”

But the Winchester in question interrupted the angel’s protests, “I know that we can’t trust demons Cas, but this is Dean we are talking about here. Crowley says that he can pull Lucifer’s infused grace from Dean, which will make him human again.”

Cas thought about the Winchester that became the angel’s best friend. It seemed unlikely that a simple solution could make Dean human again. “Sam,” the angel sighed, “Dean might be too much other for this to work.”

There were tears in Sam’s hazel eyes. “Don’t we at least owe it to Dean to try?” the hunter questioned.

Blue eyes stared into the hunter’s watery hazel eyes. Then Castiel looked away and reluctantly nodded his head. The angel was supposed to save the eldest Winchester son. “Alright,” the angel agreed to the plan as well, “but I want to be there for every step in case something were to go wrong.” He owed it to Dean to look after his charge’s younger brother; it was what Dean would have wanted.

Even though Sam’s eyes were watery, he still managed a small smile. “Thanks Cas. I know I would not be able to do this alone,” the hunter acknowledged.

There was still one thing that was bothering the angel. “What does this demon, Crowley, get out of all this?” he wondered.

Sam swallowed and looked away. “He wants to keep the power we pull from Dean,” the hunter admitted. But it still was not as bad as it sounds.

Cas leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “You mean trading one problem for another,” he replied.

Sam rubbed his face with both hands. Why couldn’t Cas just see all the benefits? “Look, Crowley doesn’t want another apocalypse. Things will go back to the way things were before all of this began,” Sam responded.

It was hard to admit, but Sam did have a point. If they wanted to keep things the way they are, then there had to be a balance between good and evil, of Heaven and Hell. “You’re right Sam,” the angel whispered.

The Winchester was grateful to have his angelic friend on his side. They were one step closer to freeing Dean. “There is one other thing Cas,” Sam spoke up. When blue eyes looked into his own, Sam continued. “What happened to Anna?”

The angel licked his lips as he thought back to one of his greatest regrets. “Why do you want to know Sam?” the angel wondered.

Sam shook his head and demanded, “Please, it’s important. What happened to her?”

Castiel thought back to the last time he saw his wayward sister. “Before Lucifer was freed, her location was told to Zachariah, and she was captured for betraying the Host and her duties,” he began to explain.

Why would anyone want to turn Anna into the angels, who wanted her dead? Who hated her that much? “Do you know who turned her in?” the hunter asked.

Once again the angel nodded his head. Cas looked up at the sky and answered, “I was the one who turned her in.”

Sam could not believe what he was hearing. Why would Cas do that? The angel’s actions did not mesh with the Winchester’s perception of his friend. “Why Cas?” Sam demanded answers.

Castiel looked down at his folded hands. What he would not give to take back what he did to his sister. “I allowed Zachariah’s influence to cloud my judgement,” he admitted in a soft voice.

Well now Castiel was truly a Winchester. Sam hated to admit it, but they all betrayed family at one time or another. Who was Sam to judge the angel? “Do you know what happened to her after she was captured?” he wondered.

This is where things became a little bit uncertain for the male angel. He shook his head. “Shortly after Michael was killed, she escaped her imprisonment. Gabriel and I searched for her, but we believe she must be dead.”

“I don’t think she is. Crowley warned me that she is in fact alive, and she is going after Dean,” the hunter informed his comrade.

Suddenly the angel was on his feet. “I must inform this to Gabriel right away,” the angel stated. The archangel would guide Castiel in taking the right course of action. With sound of the fluttering of wings, Castiel was gone.

Sam stayed at the park for a little while longer. He was feeling like he was on the edge of a precipice, of something forever life changing. Sam just hoped that he was making the right choices.

The hunter was so grateful to see his family when they arrived home later that day. He gathered his son into his arms and held little Dean tightly. “I missed you,” father whispered into the top of his son’s head.

Sarah looked at her husband with questioning eyes. Something had happened today, and she was worried about her spouse’s mental and emotional state. But their son was around, and Sarah instinctively knew this was a conversation her son should not hear.

Putting his son down, Sam then greeted his wife. He pecked her on the lips and rubbed her pregnant belly. “We will talk later,” he whispered in her ear.

Later on that night, Sam and Sarah were lying in bed facing one another. Their joined hands were in the middle of them. “What happened today Sam?” she asked in a quiet voice.

Sam swallowed before leaning forward to kiss their conjoined hands. “The demon that showed up today has found a way to cure Dean,” he told her.

Her eyes widened at his words. She knew that it was something he wanted for so long. “That is great Sam,” she responded.

Closing his eyes, Sam added, “I just don’t know if I should trust him. It’s not like I have a great track record for trusting demons.”

Sarah knew all about Ruby, but this was different. “I know you have been burned in the past, but you will be careful now,” she stated, “you owe it to yourself and Dean to see this through.”

Sam stared at his wife with wonderment in his eyes. “Sarah….”

Sarah smiled and put a finger to his lips. “Go bring Dean home,” she gave her husband her blessing.


	8. The Gathering

Sam and Sarah spent the night talking. It warmed Sam’s heart so much that he had his wife’s encouragement and blessing to go out and free Dean. They both agreed that she and little Dean could not stay here while Sammy went back on the hunt. But where should they stay? “I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay with Ellen at Bobby’s,” Sarah mused, “it would be the first place I would look, besides here of course.”

Her husband was nodding his head in agreement. “I just want to know you are safe wherever you go,” he tried to explain his reasoning.

The answer suddenly came to the brunette. “I know where we can go!” she exclaimed, “Jason used to have this safe house for emergencies only. No one else knew about it except for him and I….”

Sam’s hazel eyes squinted. It sounded like a great plan, but…. “Jason was your old fiancée,” he wondered. The one that dies was left unsaid of course.

Suddenly Sarah swallowed and reluctantly nodded her head. Even after all these years, she still did not like to talk about him, much like Jess with Sam. Sarah supposed they did not want the other to think about all the “what ifs” if their past significant others had never died. “Would you be ok with this?” there was a slight trepidation in her voice.

Why was Sam getting all weird about this now? He was never bothered by it before. “I’m ok with it,” he responded truthfully, “you and little Dean should head out in the morning.”

Sarah nodded her head in agreement. It was going to be rough being apart from one another. They have not been apart in a decade, but both of them were willing to deal with the temporary separation for now.

Sarah and little Dean left early the next morning. Their poor son was so confused as to why Daddy was not coming with them. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, and once again Sam promised Sarah that this would not be for long. He was hoping in less than a week he would have his whole family with him.

Wanting to protect the sanctity of the home he built with Sarah, Sam packed the Impala and hit the road. Even though his family was safe and not home, Sam still was not going to let any demons inside.

Sam had spent most of the day driving southwest when his passenger seat became occupied. The Winchester swerved the car when he spotted Castiel sitting beside him. “Jesus Cas!” the human admonished, “Let someone know when you are coming!”

Cas turned his head slightly to the left to focus his attentions on the hunter. He apologized, “My apologies Sam. I thought you would want to know we finally picked up Anna’s trail.”

The Winchester licked his lips and gripped the steering wheel tighter. He was afraid this was going to happen. Deciding to speak his mind, he asked, “What are you going to do when you find her?”

Castiel’s ocean depths searched the human’s face for any hidden meaning. “You think I plan to kill her when I find her,” the angel realized.

Sam shrugged his shoulders, and he kept his eyes on the road. “You have in the past,” he spoke the truth.

The angel turned his head to gaze out of the window. “This time will be different. I just want to talk to her, to reason with her. I will only turn to violence as a last resort,” he answered.

Sam pursed his lips. He too hoped it would not turn into a fight when the two angels were reunited again. “I’m waiting to hear back from Crowley,” the hunter changed the subject, “when we gather all the necessary supplies and are ready to perform the spell, I will call you.”

“I will be waiting to hear your prayers,” the angel spoke before taking his leave.

An hour later, Sam stopped at an off-road diner for some dinner. As he was eating his grilled pork chop, the bell above the door chimed, and in walked the demon Crowley. There was a slight look of disdain on the demon’s face as he casually strolled to the Winchester’s booth. “Couldn’t choose something with a little more class,” Crowley commented as he took a seat.

Sam pushed his plate aside. He was done eating; demons had a tendency to ruin his appetite. “What do we need to perform the spell?” the hunter asked as he got straight down to business.

The server had started to make her way over to the pair, but one look from the demon had the poor woman turning on her heels and going the opposite way as fast as she could. Once he was satisfied, Crowley reached into his pocket and pulled out a list, which he handed to his companion. As Sam was reading the list, Crowley stated, “You can find all these ingredients down in New Orleans. Gotta love the voodoo capital.”

Sam was puzzled by the last ingredient. “How am I supposed to get blood of the First? What does that even mean?” Let’s just hope there was no need for a virgin to be sacrificed.

Crowley licked his lips and smiled. He loved to be reminded of his former lover; the two of them were quite the pair back in the day. “The first demon, as in Lilith,” Crowley elaborated.

Lilith? But the demon had been dead for over a decade…. “How are we supposed to get Lilith’s blood?” the Winchester felt the need to ask.

Crowley waggled his eyebrows. He responded, “Don’t worry about it Moose; I will handle it. I think I still have something of hers from our glory days together.”

The poor Winchester was reminded that the demon before him and the horrendous bitch Lilith were once lovers… ew; Sam did not want to picture the two of them together. “It will take me a day to get down to New Orleans and half a day to get all these things,” the hunter informed the demon.

Crowley stood up from the booth. “Great. I will see you in two days’ time to perform the spell,” the demon spoke before taking his leave.

Throwing down some bills on the table, Sam also headed out of the diner. He better get on the road; he had a long drive ahead of him.

New Orleans was a place Dean loved. The elder Winchester sibling was always enthusiastic whenever there was a hunt down in the Big Easy. Every time Dean came to visit, he always partied on Bourbon Street. Poor Sam used to always be dragged along for the ride whenever that happened.

The real and authentic voodoo shops were right on the outer edge of the French Quarter. Sam had to hit every single one to find all the necessary ingredients. When that was done, Sam did not spend any time in the French Quarter like he normally would with his brother. Instead, the younger Winchester sibling found an abandoned house to squat in and waited for the demon Crowley to find him.

Within a half hour of squatting, there was a knock at the door. Using the peephole to discern the visitor’s identity, Sam pushed a break in his salt lines before opening the door. Of course Crowley strolled into the house like he owned the place. He placed a small jar of blood on the table in the room. “There we go. Blood of the First just like I promised. Now did you gather the rest of the items?” the demon took charge of the situation.

Sam blinked and nodded his head. He crossed his arms and stated, “They are in the bag right over there. Are we ready to do this?”

Crowley strolled over to the aforementioned bag and took a peek inside. “There is one thing we are missing,” he stated.

What in the world could it be? “What is it Crowley?” Sam asked with a heavy weariness.

Turning around to face the hunter, Crowley answered, “Your brother. Now you need to grab the rings and open the cage. Once Dean is here, I can perform the spell.”

Sam could not believe he was going to see his brother again after all these years. “Wait here and set up. I will be right back,” Sam replied.

As Sam headed outside and toward the Impala, he prayed to Castiel, “Cas, can you hear me? It’s time.”

As Sam opened the trunk, the angel appeared. “Do you have everything you need?” the angel questioned.

Sam nodded his head as he pulled out the four rings that belonged to the Horsemen. “Now we do. C’mon, Crowley is waiting inside,” the human answered.

Castiel followed the Winchester inside the house. Crowley looked up when he heard the door open. Sam showed the demon the rings in his hands. “Let’s do this,” the tall male spoke.

“I wouldn’t do anything if I were you,” a feminine voice called.

All three men turned toward the door. Standing in the doorway was Anna with an angel blade in her hand.


	9. True Intentions

It was a mystery which one of the three men was the most surprised to see Anna standing before them. Out of the three, it seemed like Sam was the only one happy to see her. Castiel was the perfect blend of shock and sad; Cas was still so full of regret for what he did to his sister. On the other hand, Crowley was looking more and more angry. The red headed angel had vowed to stop Crowley and his plans by any means necessary.

Anna’s brown and green hazel eyes seemed to soften at the sight of the younger Winchester sibling. Sam was a friend and ally, and more importantly, he was the younger brother of Dean. Anna bore no ill will against the tall human. Her eyes darkened, however, at the sight of the demon standing near the hunter. Crowley brought out a lot of mixed emotions within the female angel, but she mostly felt rage toward the demon. Had the King of the Crossroads gotten his hooks into Sam like he had done to Anna? If so, then that would be awful. She would have to make Sam see the truth behind Crowley before it was too late.

Then those feminine eyes turned toward the last occupant in the room. Her eyes glowed with grace and unbridled rage. “YOU!” she seethed.

Castiel shifted his stance. He deserved her anger, but he also needed Anna to see how much he changed and grew since their last encounter. Besides, Cas still felt the urge to understand why his sister would want Dean dead rather than work with them to turn Dean back to human. Castiel had seen the way Dean and Anna interacted with one another; their connection was deep, primal, and something more.

Gripping the angel blade more tightly in her grasp, Anna surged forward and struck. Thrusting her blade forward, the red headed angel took aim at her own sibling. Cas had just managed to avoid the attack before Anna was trying again. She was on the offense, and he was on defense. Anna was consumed with the rage that was burning inside her.

Sam stared at the exchange with wide eyes between the two angels. The hunter did not want to lose either one of the angels. “We need to get them to stop,” Sam commented to the being beside him that was perhaps the only one who could between the warring siblings.

There was an incredulous look on the King of the Crossroads’ face. “I’d rather not and say we did,” Crowley responded, “besides I will like to keep on living.”

The hunter glared at the demon beside him. But Crowley may have a slight point. All in all, maybe it was not a good idea to get in the middle of that fight. Unless there was a way to force them to stop fighting without getting between them….

Castiel had no other choice than to draw out his own blade. The blue eyed angel did not want to hurt his sister, but he was not going to let her kill him either. Still, she was his slightly older sister, and she was once his superior.

Neither angel noticed Sam slowly sneak out of the house. Castiel had almost managed to knock Anna’s blade from her grasp, but her grip was steadfast. Because of this near slip up, Anna doubled her efforts in taking down her brother. Castiel was physically strong and powerful, but he was not as nimble as her. The red headed angel did a fake out, spun on her heels, and managed to knock Castiel’s blade from his hands. Seems like Castiel still had a lot to learn.

Castiel looked at his fallen weapon briefly before returning his eyes back to his opponent. Clearly physical incapacitation was not going to work on his sister, but maybe he could still make her see reason. “Anna, stop! Listen to me,” Cas pleaded with her.

However, Anna’s hazel eyes were still dark and stormy. “Save it Cas. Now you want to apologize for betraying me,” she immediately cut in.

Cas took a couple of steps backwards, but she was still walking towards him. “I’m sorry for all I’ve done to you,” he apologized, “if I had known then what I know now…”

Anna stopped in her tracks. She was still looking dangerous, but she raised an eyebrow at his words. “You what?” she demanded. It still cut her deep that it was Castiel who betrayed her. “You would have just let me go?”

Blue eyes were soft and pleading. “I would have joined you. Maybe you, Dean, and I could have prevented Lucifer from ever rising,” he admitted.

His words caused her to pause. She could not help it in times of great desperation imagine what would have happened had she never been captured. Perhaps she and Dean would not be in the positions they are in now.

Meanwhile, Sam had raced out of the house. He had to act fast if he wanted a chance to save both Anna and Castiel. So the hunter rushed to trunk and opened it. He dug through the false bottom for a clay bottle. When his hand touched the handle, his eyes lit up. Quickly grabbing the bottle, Sam also grabbed a lighter before closing the trunk. Then he raced back inside the house.

When Sam returned, it seemed like the two angels were at a stalemate. There was an unreadable expression on Anna’s face. “I’m sorry Cas, but what is can never be now,” she finally spoke.

Crowley’s eyes landed on the Winchester’s returned form. Dark eyes spotted the bottle in the hunter’s hand, and Crowley understood the Winchester’s plan without ever speaking to him. “Wow, and here I thought you were different Anna. But you are just like the rest of your older brothers who kill anyone who disagrees with them,” the demon goaded.

Stormy eyes turned to the King of the Crossroads. How dare this vile and manipulative character think he has the gall to judge her? Crowley spoke nothing but lies. As she white knuckled her blade, Anna seethed, “Don’t you speak to me! You might be the one who deserves to die the most here.”

As Anna and Crowley stared each other down, Sam laid down the trap. Even Castiel helped Sam pour the oil into a circle. When the holy oil was laid out, the hunter reached into his pocket and pulled out the lighter. With one stroke, Sam got a spark and dropped it to ignite the oil. Soon the red headed angel was trapped in a ring of holy fire.

Anna’s eyes went from angry to betrayed as she gazed into the Winchester’s hazel eyes. Did Sam not realize she would not harm him? “Sam?” her tone was questioning.

The Winchester looked apologetic for his actions. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let you kill my brother,” he tried to explain.

Now it was Anna’s turn to be confused. Why would Sam think she would ever try to kill Dean? “Sam, you are mistaken. I would never hurt Dean; I’m going to do whatever it takes to save him,” she responded.

Castiel wiped the blood from his lower lip before moving to stand beside the Winchester. Why did the angel feel like they were missing something? “Sam,” Cas whispered to his friend, “perhaps we should hear her out.”

Sam’s mouth dropped open and he took a hesitant step toward the trapped angel. Maybe they all had their wires crossed. If they were all working toward the same goal, they should be working together. “That’s exactly what we are trying to do too Anna,” the hunter spoke, “so then why are you trying to stop us?”

Anna’s eyes flickered between the human and the demon standing by him. “If you are working with Crowley, then you are not trying to save Dean,” she began.

Crowley’s eyes bled red. He took a step toward her and opened his mouth to threaten her, but Sam stopped him. “What are you trying to say Anna?” the hunter wondered.

Anna chewed on her top lip and kept her gaze focused on the Winchester. “If you allow Crowley to act, then Dean will die,” she warned the human.

Doubt was beginning to fill Sam Winchester. He had the devil (or a demon in this case) on one shoulder spewing promises, and an angel on the other shoulder screaming not to trust it. Who should Sam believe?

“How do I know I can trust you?” he chose to ask.

Taking a deep breath, Anna answered, “Maybe I should tell you about what I’ve been up to since the last time I saw you.”


	10. Anna's Story

Anna had desperately wanted to save Castiel. He was her little brother, and the two of them had always been close. When he had been captured by the Host, Anna felt as though she owed it to him to help him. After all, she was the one planting the seed of doubt in his ear. If the Host decided to eliminate Castiel for her influence, then the red headed angel would never be able to forgive herself. But they would not kill the angel charged with the care of the Righteous Man, would they?

What was she to do? She was all alone; no other angel would help her. Then she remembered that she was not truly alone. Dean would help her. The eldest Winchester sibling cared about Castiel, and the hunter would not let his friend die. If there was anyone who could help Cas, it would be Dean.

So she appeared in the back seat of the Impala; the same place she and Dean made love. It seemed like a lifetime ago when she first met the Winchesters. Both brothers were surprised to see her, but they did not treat her any different. In fact, it made Anna feel all warm and tingly when Dean eyed her and complimented her looks. If things were not so dire at the moment, Anna would love another romp with Dean. He was the first person in all of existence to actually see her, and maybe Dean had similar feelings toward her.

She told them her suspicions; Castiel was more than likely dead already. But the two hunters reassured her that they were on the case, and they were going to find Cas. Anna had almost forgotten what it felt like to hope. Dean never ceased to amaze her; he was truly something special. Even as an angel once more, he still made her feel whole.

It seemed like the Winchesters were full of miracles because Castiel was back. Anna did not see her brother, but she learned from Dean what happened. It was their little secret that Anna would visit his dreams now and again. They were two lonely souls who made themselves whole through each other. Anna knew she was going to have to visit her brother soon to make sure he was ok.

Anna could feel Dean’s anguish, and she did not know how to help him. So many of the seals were broken, and there were only a couple left. Yes, she knew about Sam Winchester drinking demon blood from the angels. There was a darkness growing within the younger Winchester, and both Anna and Dean had no idea how to help him,

It was why she was so infuriated with Castiel. Her brother let Sam out to go back to the demon that was destroying the hunter’s soul. Castiel should have known better. It was why she went to go see him. His eyes were so full of regret, but Anna would not realize until too late that it was her not Sam. Her own brother laid out a trap for her, and Anna had blindly walked in it. She made sure to look into Castiel’s eyes as she was handled by two of their other siblings. She hoped that Cas would never forget the look of betrayal she had on her face.

There was no way to fight off the angels that grabbed hold of the red head’s arms. It was hard to sense, but there could be more angels lurking. Biting back the tears as well as the inside of her cheek, Anna was flown back to Heaven.

The first angel to greet Anna was Zachariah. He was standing before the main building in the Silver City. Anna did her best to meet his gaze without fear in her own eyes. It was difficult, but she believed she managed. “Welcome back Anna,” he mockingly greeted, “we have been waiting for you. There are a few things we need to talk about.”

Thus, she was led into the angelic stronghold. There was no point in putting up a fight; there was no chance she could win… especially since there could be an archangel close by.

Demons must have learned from angels the art of torture. Her brothers and sisters were relentless in their punishment toward her. Zachariah had managed to even break one of her wings, believing she would never able to fly and escape now. Her angelic brethren also had the gall to comment that Anna was getting off easy for her crimes; her punishment should have been death. The escape of death was something Anna had longed for. Would her torture ever end?

Slowly, less and less angels came to “visit” her. Zachariah was one of the angels to stop coming by. Even in her weakened state, Anna could sense something serious on the horizon. When she could no longer sense Michael in Heaven, no one came by again to hurt her; she was all alone again. The archangel had to be on Earth; most likely getting ready to fight Lucifer. This might be Anna’s only chance. Her right wing was still heavily damaged and broken, and she broke her left arm to break free of her shackles. Heaven was surprisingly unguarded, and Anna escaped from the Silver City. The garden would be too dangerous to hide from her siblings, so she searched for the part of Heaven her human parents were residing.

It was so great to see them once again, even though they could not see her. As Anna wiped the tears from her eyes, she needed to plan her escape. How could she fly out of Heaven undetected? Could she even fly?

It was a little while later when Anna realized she was no longer alone. Standing in the doorway of the living room of Anna’s childhood home was the angel Joshua. The red headed angel immediately went on the defensive. What did the Gardener want with her? “Joshua?” she questioned.

Joshua’s smiled warmly and moved out of the doorway and closer to his sister. He could sense her unease and mistrust, and he raised his arms out in surrender. “I’m not here to hurt you Anna,” he promised her.

Anna held her injured wing close to her body. She knew she was trapped. “Then what are you doing here?” she wondered.

Slowly, Joshua continued to close the gap between the two of them. “Michael has just been killed, and it is time to get you out of here,” he began to explain.

Listening to his words, Anna slowly got to her feet. Michael was dead; she could not believe it. Did Lucifer actually kill his big brother? “Then why come see me? Who will lead the Host now?” she continued to question.

“Heaven has a new leader in the form of Gabriel,” he answered, “and I’m here to get you out of Heaven.” There was hardly any distance left between the two angels.

Still, Anna was so confused. She had no idea that Gabriel was even alive. He was the archangel that trained her and who she used to report to. Would Gabriel want her dead like Michael? “Why would you risk yourself to help me?” she asked the burning question.

Joshua grasped her hand and held it in his own. “Because I know you have a destiny,” he spoke, “the two of you are bonded. If he ever were to accept his destiny, then he will need you at his side.”

He always left her with more questions than answers. “Who?” she asked. But she never got her answer because he transported her back to Earth.

Anna was a survivor. She survived when she fell all the way to getting her grace back. But in her weakened condition, Anna did not know how much more she had; she was so tired. As she was wandering for a safe place to hole up in, Anna became surrounded by a group of demons. There were five of them in all. This is it… Anna thought… this is how she was going to die.

“Look at what we have here, a pretty, broken, little angel,” the obvious leader commented, “we owe your kind some pain for all you’ve done to our throne.”

As Anna held her head high in defiance, the howl of a Hellhound could be heard. Then the great beast was running toward them and attacking the leader.

As the Hellhound was pulling the demonic essence from its human host, a demon with red eyes appeared. “Unless you want to join him, I suggest you leave,” the demon, Crowley, threatened the other demons.

One by one, the other demons vanished, leaving Anna alone with Crowley. She stared at him with obvious mistrust in her hazel eyes. “Did you want the glory of killing me yourself?” she demanded.

Crowley’s eyes returned to his vessel’s usual shade of brown. “No, I’m a business man, and I have come to offer you a deal,” he responded.

Anna was still weary of the demon before her. “What kind of deal?” she insisted for clarification.

Turning to the side, Crowley began to pace. “I know exactly who you are Anna, and I know how badly Heaven wants you dead,” he began.

The angel was reminded of the last conversation she had with Joshua. “Heaven has a new leader with Gabriel, and things are different there,” she countered.

Dark eyes glanced at the angel’s form. He added, “Unfortunately for you, things haven’t changed that much. Gabriel is already hunting for you.”

She did her best to hold in her hatred for this whole situation. “So what do you want then? Nothing is ever free,” she studied him for answers.

He turned back to face her. “I will protect you from Gabriel’s forces, which should give you plenty of time to heal. And in return, you help me with taking the throne of Hell,” he offered.

Anna could not believe she was agreeing to this demon’s deal. But if she were to survive, then she was going to need some help. Besides, she was not going to inform Crowley of her greatest secret, her greatest aid. It was something only between her and HIM.

Anna was still in shock that she had been with the demon Crowley for over nine years. Time seemed to fly by for the angel. Anna and Crowley had grown close as the years passed. Their relationship was not romantic or sexual in nature, but the closeness was built on their need for another as well as the time that passed. With each passing month, Anna began to believe in Crowley. He should be king; he was the best suited for the job. Dean was meant to be human, and he deserved his human life back.

It took over a year or two, but Anna was now fully healed from her wounds. Once when she was fully healed, Anna began to help the demon in his quest to restore Dean’s humanity. It was she who was the one who brought Crowley and Bobby together. Of course Singer was willing to work with them. He heard about Anna from Dean and knew how close they became, and Crowley had helped Sam and Bobby in the past. He was alright for a demon. Besides, it was a cause Bobby Singer could get behind.

It was Bobby who found the ritual to pull Lucifer’s grace from Dean. Crowley was near giddy when he learned this. Anna should be happy, but she could not shake the sense that something was terribly wrong.

A couple of days later when Anna was alone, she was approached. She knew right away the other woman was a demon. The demon possessed a woman of similar build (but maybe a hair taller) with red hair and a dangerous aura. “The angel once known as Anna Milton,” the demoness spoke, “my fellow Knights will be happy to know I’ve found you.”

Anna knew then the demon before her was a Knight of Hell, and the angel also knew she was going to have to tread carefully. She responded, “You know who I am, but I’m afraid I don’t have that same luxury.”

Black demonic eyes were revealed as the demon grinned wickedly. “They call me Abaddon, and I have been looking for you.”

The angel summoned her angel blade and prepared for a fight. Abaddon had a nasty reputation, and Anna was not going to play any games.

Abaddon looked at the angel’s weapon briefly before returning her gaze to the angel’s eyes. “Relax,” Abaddon responded, “I’m here to talk, not to fight.”

Anna was hesitant about her next action. “What do you want to talk about?” she wondered. This was all so very strange.

The female demon shifted closer to the angel. “You need to know that Crowley can’t be trusted. He is a threat to Dean.”

This demon had to be mistaken. Crowley was working with her to save the aforementioned Winchester. “No,” the angel muttered, “you are mistaken.”

Abaddon continued to invade the angel’s personal space. “The only way Dean is off the throne is through death,” the demon explained, “it’s one of the reasons he sought you.”

Anna’s eyes widened. Did Hell and Dean believe she wanted him dead? “Me, why me?” the angel continued to evade.

However, the demon knew she was getting through to the other woman. “We all know about the bond you share with our king. We respect it; Crowley will use it to weaken and cripple Dean,” Abaddon continued.

Hazel eyes full of emotion looked at the demoness. “What do you want me to do?” she wondered.

The demon gripped Anna’s shoulder. “Stay out of my way,” Abaddon answered, “I will deal with Crowley and anyone else who gets in the way.” With those words spoken, the demon vanished.

Anna hurried back to Crowley. She needed to know which demon was telling the truth. “Crowley!” the angel yelled. When Crowley appeared, her tirade continued, “Is it true this spell you want to use will kill Dean if you transfer his powers?”

Who had been talking to the angel? “Of course not,” he lied, “Who told you such a thing?”

Anna’s eyes were opened now, and she could see the demon for what he truly was. “I swear if it’s the last thing I do, I will stop you,” she vowed. Crowley had now made an enemy in the angel. She would never betray Dean.


	11. Treachery

Sam listened to Anna’s story with amazement. She has been through so much in the past decade; the hunter could sympathize with her mistrust and anger. He almost did not want to believe her though when it came to Crowley. Sam had not thought about saving Dean in years; it was the only way to survive and move on. Sam knew he would have gone off the deep end otherwise. But now here he was back on the quest, and Crowley had given the hunter hope again. Sam was not ready to give that up, so he clung to the idea that his brother could actually be saved.

Clearing his throat, Sam asked, “Did you have anything to do with Bobby’s death?” He had to know. If Anna was involved, then there was no doubt that she would be an enemy now.

There was still sadness in Anna’s eyes as she looked away. It still stung the female angel that she could not save Bobby Singer. She tried so hard, but she was unsuccessful in her endeavors.

Believing her silence to be an admittance of guilt, Sam became infuriated. “How could you kill Bobby?” he demanded answers.

Anna’s eyes returned to the hunter’s form. Did Sam believe she actually dealt the killing blow to Bobby? That is not what actually happened. “Sam, you have to believe me; I did everything I could to try and save him,” she pleaded.

Castiel was torn. He would rather believe his sister than trust a demon, but the angel also knew how much his charge longed to believe in the demon’s promises. Just like Anna had done in the past….

Sam’s eyes were hardened, and he clenched his fists tightly. “Tell me everything that happened with Bobby,” he ordered. Once he heard her side of things, the he would determine if she was telling the truth.

The red headed angel took a deep breath. It was not even that long ago, but it already felt like months had gone by. “After I confronted Crowley, I immediately went to go see Bobby,” she started to explain, “I mean I was the one who got Bobby mixed up with Crowley, and I wanted Bobby to know the truth and make his own decision.”

Sam was not even close to being satisfied. “Alright then, tell me what happened to Bobby the night he died.”

Anna thought about the older hunter as she answered, “He still believed there was a way to save Dean. We just had to keep looking. Can you believe he told me to have faith? And the demon, Abaddon, knew he was still searching.”

“Are you saying it was Abaddon who killed him?” the Winchester continued to interrupt.

The red head nodded her head. “She had us pinned down. I told Bobby to get out of there while I fought her off, but the bitch banished me before I could kill her. I tried to get back to him as fast as I could, but I was too late. You gotta believe me Sam,” Anna explained.

Blinking back the tears that threatened to escape, Sam looked away from her and focused on the other angel in the room. By the look on Castiel’s face, the hunter knew he trusted his sister’s story.

Believing that Sam did not trust her, Anna added, “I got her though; killed her for what she did to Bobby.”

It was comforting to know the demonic bitch was dead. Once again Sam turned to Castiel. The angel looked back at his friend and wondered, “What would you like to do Sam?”

Sam realized that he did believe in the other angel. This woman before him wanted all of the same things as Sam. But she has been persecuted and used by both sides because of those basic human desires. Sam could see why his brother felt so connected to her when their tried to protect her from demons and angels as they searched for her grace. “You swear that Crowley does not care about Dean?” the Winchester asked once more.

Anna understood where the other man was coming from. She nodded her head and reaffirmed, “I’m sorry Sam, but if you allow Crowley to complete the spell, Dean will die. His powers and life force are bonded; he is not like a full-fledged angel who can fall. I swear by Dean.”

Closing his eyes, Sam nodded his head as he chewed on his lips. This was some of the worst news he had heard in a long time. “Ok,” he thought about his options, “let her out Cas.”

Cas took a step forward with the intention of releasing his sister from the holy fire. At the same time, Crowley yelled a guttural cry and sent the Winchester flying into the wall. “Sam!” Castiel called for his friend.

Sam groaned in pain from the impact of the collision. Pressing against the wall, he slowly got to his feet. When Sam glanced at the others in the room, Crowley had his own angelic blade pointed toward Castiel. Before Sam could take action, the sound of a Hellhound’s howl could be heard.

There was a defiant look on the demon’s face. “I will finish the ritual tonight. The throne belongs to me, and I will take what’s mine. Now, whether you are alive for this is solely up to you,” Crowley threatened.

Sam’s face twitched as his eyes narrowed in fury. “I won’t let you kill my brother!” the Winchester snarled.

Crowley laughed at the human’s empty threat. His Hellhound joined the demon at his side. Crowley was going to succeed and claim his rightful throne tonight. “And you think you can stop me?” The very thought was laughable.

As the only one who could see the Hellish creature and fight, Castiel went after the Hellhound. The creature could kill Sam, and the human would be defenseless against it because Sam could not see it. Surprisingly, the beast was much easier to kill then the angel thought it was going to be. As the Hellhound lunged at the angel, Castiel thrusted his blade through the beast’s abdomen, killing it instantly.

Meanwhile, Sam had one goal in mind: free Anna. Two powerful angels on his side were better than one. As the human moved toward the entrapped angel, Crowley once again sent the hunter flying. “You never learn do you Moose?” the demon taunted.

Before Crowley could deal a more devastating blow against the Winchester, Castiel stood behind the demon. “Stop now or else,” Cas warned.

Crowley raised an eyebrow. “And you think you have what it takes to kill me? You couldn’t even stop Alastair, and you let your charge, Dean, fall into Lucifer’s plans!” Crowley doubted the angel’s abilities.

Then angel and demon were locked in a duel. Both Crowley and Castiel traded blow for blow. Both of their intentions were to knock the angel blade out of the other’s grasp. It was surprising how powerful the demon Crowley actually was; the demon was somehow managing to hold his own against the angel.

Sam needed to gather his bearings once more. Once he did, the human made his way over to Anna. She looked at the Winchester pleadingly. “Please let me out Sam,” she begged in a soft voice.

The Winchester extinguished the flames that trapped the red headed angel. Anna turned her head towards the human. “Thank you,” she spoke to him.

Then suddenly, she pulled him close to her body and searched his pockets. He looked at her with confusion in his eyes. “This is the only way Sam,” she tried to explain as she found what she was looking for.

Castiel had just managed to subdue Crowley when the male angel spotted Anna rough housing the last surviving Winchester. “Sam,” poor Castiel was confused, “Anna?”

Anna’s eyes went from Sam, to Castiel, and back to Sam. “This is the only way,” she added as she revealed what she stole from Sam. It was the four rings. She threw them against the adjacent wall and spoke the incantation to open the cage. “There is only one now who I answer to,” she added as the door opened.

~*SPN*~

Gabriel took a heavy breath. He could sense what was going on down on Earth, and it made his heart ache. His baby sister Anna was lost to him, and he was going to have to break Sam’s heart again. Perhaps it was time for Gabriel to get involved in this mess before things truly got out of hand.

~*SPN*~

Dean took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. Finally; it was time to be free once more. Everything was going according to plan, and he was thankful for all she had done for him.


	12. Never Alone

Neither Sam nor Castiel knew what to say or what to think. The cage was opened, and in any moment, its prisoner was going to walk out free. How different would Dean be? Did Hell change Sam’s brother into something that not even Sam would recognize? The thought was terrifying to the hunter. Would Dean even remember Sam?

Anna held her breath as she waited to be reunited with Dean physically after all these years. She had missed him terribly, but she remained loyal to him throughout the years. And now their plan was finally coming to fruition.

Crowley was never going to admit that he was nervous. He attempted to usurp his king, and he knew Dean would punish him for his disloyalty. Still, maybe the King of the Crossroads could turn this bad situation in his favor; it was what he did best after all.

Finally, someone stepped out of the cage. First a brown boot could be seen, followed by a jean clad leg. It was Dean. The green eyed male wore the same clothes as when he was trapped in the cage… right down to his favorite leather jacket. Dean Winchester was surrounded by a dark aura that was chilling to others. His eyes began to glance at the other occupants in the room. The first was Crowley and then Castiel. His gaze softened when his eyes fell on the only female in the room. “Anna,” he finally spoke.

Anna and Dean had been staring at one another for a baited breath. When she heard her name on his lips, she bolted into action. She all but ran into his open arms. As soon as his arms were around her, their lips met in a passionate embrace. Anna’s eyes closed, and she focused on the sensation of his lips on hers. Finally they were reunited once more. All of their planning had finally led to this moment.

When Sam could tell their kiss involved some heavy tongue dancing, he cleared his throat. The younger Winchester had walked in on his brother enough times to know where this was going.

Reluctantly the two lovers broke away from their kiss. Dean still kept Anna close to his side though. At last green eyes locked onto his brother’s hazel ones. “Sammy,” Dean uttered. It was so good to finally see his brother in the flesh again. There was no unit of measurement to describe how much Dean missed Sam.

“Dean,” Sam uttered his brother’s name. It was him. It was actually Dean standing before Sam once more.

Then the two brothers moved and hugged one another tightly. Both Sam and Dean closed their eyes for a few seconds to absorb this moment. It was going to be so hard to let go, but Dean was the first to push away from his sibling.

Smiling his trademark smile, Dean commented, “You are looking good Sam. I see you still won’t cut your hair.”

Sam reluctantly laughed. His hazel eyes were watery, but he did not even notice. “I’ve missed you so much Dean,” the younger of the two admitted.

Dean’s smile weakened as he remembered how much things were different now. “I missed you too Sammy,” Dean agreed, “but I was watching, and I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.”

There was some puzzlement on the taller man’s face. How could Dean be proud of him when Sam was the reason Dean was imprisoned? “You mean…” the younger of the two began.

But Dean interrupted him, “I’m glad you made a life with Sarah. The two of you are meant for each other. And you got out of the life like you always wanted to.” Dean was glad that Sam actually took his advice and made a life for himself.

Anna squeezed Dean’s hand, which she had been holding since the brothers broke apart, tighter. Green eyes returned to her from, and once again he was at a loss for words. Without her, Dean was uncertain if he could have survived his imprisonment. Turning to her, Dean softly caressed her cheek, Anna’s eyes fluttered at his actions. She just wanted to drink his presence in. “I can’t even begin to thank you for all that you have done for me,” he began.

Sam and Castiel glanced at one another. Clearly Anna had held back when she told them about her life since her own imprisonment. Would it have changed their perception of her if they had known she had been working with Dean? For Sam the answer would be no, but Castiel would have been a different story. Once again, his sister was going against everything he knew and believed in.

Anna smiled warmly at her lover, who also helped her to keep it together after all these years. “I promised you that I would get you out,” she reminded him, “and you have done so much for me.” Once again their lips met. It was a slow kiss that conveyed the emotions they felt for one another.

When the two lovers separated, Dean turned to the only occupant in the room he did not have a personal connection with. Like the snake he was, Crowley was doing his best to escape without anyone’s notice. There was not going to be an easy way out of this; Dean was going to make certain of that. “Crowley,” the King of Hell called.

Reluctant brown eyes turned toward the dark Winchester. “Congratulations on your recent release,” the demon spoke. He needed to keep Dean distracted as he planned his escape.

Dean glanced back at Anna. “Is this the one?” he asked. Anna signed Crowley’s death warrant when she nodded her head. There was a wicked glint in the Winchester’s eyes when he turned back to the demon.

Slowly, very slowly, Dean began to circle the demon. Crowley knew better than to try and fight his way out of this; besides, there was a part of his demonic essence that longed to follow the orders of his king. It was one of Dean’s powers, his Thrall over his demonic subjects.

“I think simply killing you would be too easy,” Dean mused aloud, “so what should be the proper punishment for your dissent?” The king planned to make an example of Crowley to remind all his demonic underlings what would happen if they ever turn against him.

The answer finally came to the Winchester. Turning to face the demon fully, Dean began to chant in Latin. The dark aura surrounding him emanated with power as he spoke the incantation. None of the others knew what was going on.

Crowley’s eyes were forced to show his true demonic nature as something was pulling at his demonic essence. He groaned in pain and stood rigid with his arms pressed back. It was like something was being pulled out of his body. “What are you doing to me?” the demon managed to speak.

Dean finished the incantation, and Crowley collapsed to the floor. The King of Hell closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and looked down at Crowley’s crumpled form. There was a dangerous smile on Dean’s face as he answered, “Found the perfect punishment for you. You are completely human now; you have no powers. If you ever want to feel a sliver of power again, you are going to have to damn your soul once more and start the process all over of becoming a demon. Just know that I will be waiting for you when you make it down to the Pit.”

Crowley looked horrified and terrified at the same time. He had no idea that Dean was capable of such power. It made the former demon all the more horrified of if or when he returned to the Pit in the afterlife.

Dean then turned back to Anna. “I hope you find that a suitable punishment for his treachery against you,” he spoke to her.

Anna nodded her head in confirmation. Dean kept his promise to do right by her, and she was going to do the same for him.

Castiel was finally out of his stupor. He took a step forward and pulled all the attention of those in the room on him. “What exactly is the nature of your relationship?” he asked about Dean and Anna.

Dean raised an eyebrow at his lover. “You never told him?” He was surprised by that fact.

The female angel shrugged her shoulders. “Was it any of their business?” she responded.

Her lover laughed at her words. “Should you to tell them or should I?” he politely asked her.

Anna moved back into his arms once more. “You go for it,” she answered him.

Keeping his eyes trained on his lover, Dean explained, “After she got her grace back, Anna bonded her grace to my soul. It was another reason Lucifer’s plan to change me worked… why I was able to accept his grace. She used to visit my dreams before she was sent back to Heaven. When I was trapped in the cage, we eventually found our connection again. She kept me sane in my imprisonment, and I sent the Knights to find her. When Abaddon uncovered Crowley’s treachery, Anna told me all about Crowley’s plan. We decided to use it in our favor to get me out of the cage.”

Sam could not believe how much different his brother was. “I didn’t think you could speak to the demons from the cage,” the younger Winchester thought out loud.

Dean turned his eyes back onto his brother. “I am connected now to all of Hell’s creatures. It is how I ensured no demon went after you and your family,” Dean added.

The younger Winchester swallowed and wondered, “Is there any chance of turning you back human Dean?”

“No, there isn’t,” another male voice answered. Standing beside Castiel was the archangel Gabriel. The archangel smiled at the others. “It has been a long time,” he added.

Anna swallowed nervously and held Dean’s hand tighter in her grasp. She had lost all trust and faith in her siblings, aside from the only one to help her, Joshua. “What are you doing here Gabriel?” she asked with more vibrato than she felt at the moment.

Gabriel smiled at his sister. He wished he had been able to save her. “I am here to remind everyone that there are certain rules that have to be followed,” the archangel stated.

Surprisingly it was Sam who stuck up for his big brother. “What do you mean Gabriel?” the tall male demanded answers.

Sighing, the archangel answered, “You know you can’t stay here on Earth Dean. There will be a prophesized time when you can walk freely, like Lucifer. But now is not that time. It’s time to return the cage.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed in fury. “There is nothing more horrible than being stuck in that cage. It’s like being trapped alone in the empty, and you think I’m going to just walk right in again because you and Heaven say so?” he replied incredulously.

Gabriel pointed to Sam Winchester. “You are willing to risk Sam and his family for this act of defiance?” the archangel threatened.

The air chilled in response to the King of Hell’s fury. “Don’t you dare bring Sam into this! My demons will never lay a finger on my brother. And the only reason I am trapped in a life away from Sam is because of your older brothers!” Dean seethed in a low and dangerous tone.

Anna was not ready for the possibility of Dean and Gabriel duking it out right here and now, and she was definitely not ready to imagine the slightest chance that Dean may lose the fight. Grabbing her lover’s face, Anna forced his attentions on her. “You will never be alone again. I will always be by your side no matter what, even if we have to go the cage together,” she promised him.

Dean’s eyes widened in surprise. “You would do that for me?” he asked. It still stunned him when she nodded her head in agreement. But then he realized she did not deserve to spend her life in the cage; she deserved more. What he could offer was not ideal, but it was still the better option. “We are not going to the cage,” he firmly stated.

When Gabriel opened his mouth to protest, Dean added, “I won’t stay on Earth, but I’m not going back to the cage.”

The archangel relented for the time being and took a step back. Then the two Winchester brothers focused on each other once more. “I hate that I have to say goodbye to you again,” the older of the two admitted.

Sam breathed heavily as he nodded his head and agreed, “It’s not fair.” Once again the two brothers hugged each other tightly. Neither one was ready to let the other go.

“You keep thanking the stars that you bagged a chick like Sarah. She is hot, understanding, and perfect for you,” Dean whispered in his brother’s ear.

The younger brother closed his eyes and whispered back, “It makes me feel a litter better that you are not going to spend an eternity alone or with a demon chick.”

Dean laughed at his brother’s words. “I’ll still be watching over you,” Dean stated as they broke apart from their embrace. Grabbing Anna’s hand, Dean turned to his brother one last time. “Goodbye Sam.”

Tears were running down his cheeks as Sam said, “Bye Dean.” Then Anna and Dean vanished from their sights, leaving Sam with the two angels and a human Crowley. “Can you take care of him?” Sam asked Castiel in reference to the former demon.

Castiel nodded his head. “I will,” he replied, “go home Sam.”

The hunter did not need to be told twice. “Plan to,” he replied before walking out of the house without looking back. Once Sam was in the Impala, he dialed Sarah’s number. “Hey, it’s me. It’s safe to come back home now…. I will explain later when I see you….. Love you too. Bye.” He was ready to forget this mess and return to the life he built with his wife.

~*SPN*~

There is an actual throne in Hell, and Dean Winchester sat on it. Beside him was his angelic lover Anna. Before them, demons bowed before their king. The couple was trying their best to make a home in Hell together. The demons were pleased to have their master with them at last.

Dean grasped Anna’s hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “Thank you for coming with me,” he softly spoke.

Anna smiled at her lover. They both knew they would do anything for the other. “I love you,” she said the words for the first time.

He smiled so warm and brightly at her as he replied, “I love you too. You are it for me Anna.”

A little while later, Dean turned to his lover. “I think I found a way to get back at the angels for all they have done to us,” he began.

Anna raised an eyebrow in interest. She would not object to getting even with her siblings. “What do you have in mind?” she wondered.

“You ever hear about the angel tablet?”


End file.
